Jim Roberts, our founder and Principal, started working as a teenager in the family business; Sunnyvale Lumber, Inc. He began as a laborer in the lumberyard during the summers and learned the business from the ground up. He slowly worked his way through the company as he went to college and graduated magna cum laude from UC Riverside with a bachelor's degree in economics.

After graduation, Jim went to work in the business full-time and was trained as a member of the management team. After a couple of years, Jim began his graduate level studies at Santa Clara University and earned his MBA with honors. He was also inducted into the international honor society for distinguished business scholars; Beta Gamma Sigma.

After his father retired in 1995, Jim and his two brothers managed the business through exciting periods of growth, as well as challenging recessions in the housing industry. While Jim is no longer active in daily operations, he is still a major shareholder and has a seat on the board.

Jim also spent some time in public service as a member of the Sunnyvale City Council. He served for 8 years, including a term as Mayor. During his time on the council he helped refine Sunnyvale's well known long-term planning and management system (PAMS) and served as the city's spokesperson on such matters.